Jump to content

What is the best bootleg?


porca41

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Frawls said:

I'll answer based on boots with a solid combination of excellent sound & performance. Great shows with lousy sound (and vice versa) don't do much for me. The ones that stick out for me are as follows:

Vancouver - 3/21/70 'Pure Blues' (Liquid Led Version) - A short but excellent show capturing the raw energy of the group's early years.

Vancouver - 3/20/75 'Snowblind' - The best of the '75 shows in terms of Robert's voice and the band's performance. They really lock in and turn in a focused show with inspired playing. I prefer this one to the night before but both shows are very good.

Ft. Worth - 5/22/77 'Texas Hurricane' - Hands down, the best '77 boot in terms of sound and performance of the SBDs available from this year. This was a real revelation for me when it came out as I thought most of the '77 gigs featured a very sloppy page with the rest of the band sounding pretty good. This has excellent playing from Jimmy with Bonzo absolutely on fire! The 'Nutrocker' section of the No Quarter is quite an entertaining listen. Not to be missed.

Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany - 6/30/80 '1St Gen Analog Soundboard To Dat Clone' - An standout in the often bashed 1980 tour. This show features some excellent playing and it sounds like the band is really enjoying themselves.

 

 

Frawls, any particular reason why you left out any of the Millard tapes? Those, imo, are essential to any live Zeppelin collection. They give off a better atmosphere than, say, Texas Hurricane, where the audience can barely be heard at all. LA 75 and LA 77 give a really good picture of what it was like to actually be sitting in the crowd during a Zep show. Plus, the performances all range from good to outstanding (well, with the exception of San Diego 77 :D).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

Frawls, any particular reason why you left out any of the Millard tapes? Those, imo, are essential to any live Zeppelin collection. They give off a better atmosphere than, say, Texas Hurricane, where the audience can barely be heard at all. LA 75 and LA 77 give a really good picture of what it was like to actually be sitting in the crowd during a Zep show. Plus, the performances all range from good to outstanding (well, with the exception of San Diego 77 :D).

I generally prefer to hear the details of the instruments which tend to get lost in audience recordings, even ones as fantastic as Mike Millard's. I have a few and agree that they're exceptional tapes but the details in the drumming and bass don't come across quite as clearly to my ears. They sound thin with not much sonic depth. Just my preference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Frawls said:

I generally prefer to hear the details of the instruments which tend to get lost in audience recordings, even ones as fantastic as Mike Millard's. I have a few and agree that they're exceptional tapes but the details in the drumming and bass don't come across quite as clearly to my ears. They sound thin with not much sonic depth. Just my preference.

I can see that. My hope is that one day a soundboard of one of the Millard shows will come out and someone could do a matrix. That way, the clarity of the instruments as well as the atmosphere would be mostly preserved. Sigh...until then we can only dream!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am rather old fashioned. New to even going on a computer. I did think i was a absolute Led Zepp expert. Now i feel bad, I was not aware of some of them bootlegs. I do not think i would have a chance of getting my hands on physical copies. Or the money to afford them. This forum is good for learning facts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2015 at 3:00 PM, nick2632 said:

Any love for Snow Jobs and Snowblind Vancouver 3/19-3/20/1975?! Both of those shows blow MSG 2/12/75 away IMO, so damn powerful! Though MSG 2/12/75 still gets a lot of listens from me.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/7/2016 at 10:33 AM, ZepHead315 said:

Frawls, any particular reason why you left out any of the Millard tapes? Those, imo, are essential to any live Zeppelin collection. They give off a better atmosphere than, say, Texas Hurricane, where the audience can barely be heard at all. LA 75 and LA 77 give a really good picture of what it was like to actually be sitting in the crowd during a Zep show. Plus, the performances all range from good to outstanding (well, with the exception of San Diego 77 :D).

 

On 12/7/2016 at 1:36 PM, Frawls said:

I generally prefer to hear the details of the instruments which tend to get lost in audience recordings, even ones as fantastic as Mike Millard's. I have a few and agree that they're exceptional tapes but the details in the drumming and bass don't come across quite as clearly to my ears. They sound thin with not much sonic depth. Just my preference.

I'll take the 1977 Millard Tapes over the 1977 Sounboards any day of the week. I don't hear any sonic-depth to the "Texas Hurricane" soundboard...it sounds like sludge half the time.

Bonham's drums sound better and more resonant on the Millard tapes...the sound breathes. On the soundboards, the sound is claustrophobic and it sounds like Bonham is tubthumping. It reduces his drums to a dull thud.

The colour of Jimmy's guitar is another sonic element often lost in the 1977 soundboards. Then there is the fact that it makes Jones' bass sound worse; his bass on the soundboards lacks the weight you heard in the hall and which you can slightly hear on the audience tapes.

Add in the fact that the soundboards removes all ambience and atmosphere, making it sound as if the band is playing in a bathroom or a sink drain, and it's an easy call to make: Mike Millard Tapes > 1977 soundboards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Strider said:

 

I'll take the 1977 Millard Tapes over the 1977 Sounboards any day of the week. I don't hear any sonic-depth to the "Texas Hurricane" soundboard...it sounds like sludge half the time.

Bonham's drums sound better and more resonant on the Millard tapes...the sound breathes. On the soundboards, the sound is claustrophobic and it sounds like Bonham is tubthumping. It reduces his drums to a dull thud.

The colour of Jimmy's guitar is another sonic element often lost in the 1977 soundboards. Then there is the fact that it makes Jones' bass sound worse; his bass on the soundboards lacks the weight you heard in the hall and which you can slightly hear on the audience tapes.

Add in the fact that the soundboards removes all ambience and atmosphere, making it sound as if the band is playing in a bathroom or a sink drain, and it's an easy call to make: Mike Millard Tapes > 1977 soundboards.

:goodpost:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Strider said:

 

I'll take the 1977 Millard Tapes over the 1977 Sounboards any day of the week. I don't hear any sonic-depth to the "Texas Hurricane" soundboard...it sounds like sludge half the time.

Bonham's drums sound better and more resonant on the Millard tapes...the sound breathes. On the soundboards, the sound is claustrophobic and it sounds like Bonham is tubthumping. It reduces his drums to a dull thud.

The colour of Jimmy's guitar is another sonic element often lost in the 1977 soundboards. Then there is the fact that it makes Jones' bass sound worse; his bass on the soundboards lacks the weight you heard in the hall and which you can slightly hear on the audience tapes.

Add in the fact that the soundboards removes all ambience and atmosphere, making it sound as if the band is playing in a bathroom or a sink drain, and it's an easy call to make: Mike Millard Tapes > 1977 soundboards.

Great post Strider. A lot of people froth at the mouth for a 77 sbd of the LA shows. I can't think why. They will just sound like arse, just like the other boards from 77. I never ever listen to em. The Millard types are superb, especially since Andy Winston has worked his magic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Xolo1974 said:

Great post Strider. A lot of people froth at the mouth for a 77 sbd of the LA shows. I can't think why. They will just sound like arse, just like the other boards from 77. I never ever listen to em. The Millard types are superb, especially since Andy Winston has worked his magic. 

I can think why - Matrix!!! Best of both worlds. Ad some clarity/detail and keep the "breath" and atmosphere. A well done Matrix would definitely be "release" grade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, rm2551 said:

I can think why - Matrix!!! Best of both worlds. Ad some clarity/detail and keep the "breath" and atmosphere. A well done Matrix would definitely be "release" grade.

Not with the 77 boards Rod. They add nothing imo. Better with the straight out audience recordings 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would welcome a soundboard for the 22nd and 26th, but would stick with the Millards for the other four--except for using the soundboard to fill in the gaps for tape flips in the Millards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎4‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 4:04 PM, Strider said:

What happened to your post ZosoAddict? I see the post from nick2632 you quoted but your reply is non-existent.

I replied to the post and then reading further down the feed, I realized that I had already responded to the question awhile back.

I am not sure how to delete it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

If you want to hear later material then Listen to This Eddie or Over the Garden from 77 are great. My personal favorite from 75 is February 14, Nassau. My version was from The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin. I've heard better sound quality versions, but honestly they were too dry or something. I'll take the TDOLZ version any day. However, Flying Circus (Feb 12, 75) is also excellent. Of the three LA shows at the end of the tour, I like the last one on March 27, 1975.

From 73, I like March 22 and March 24 but the Vienna gig is fantastic too. I have to say, March 24 stands out at Offenbach.

From 72 I like Ooh My Ears Man! It was from their Australian tour. Really good show.

From 71 any show is good, but Osaka 9-29 or 9-23 are outstanding.

From 70 Blueberry Hill is still great, but for variety, you might pick up Box of Tricks from Sept 6 in Hawaii.

From 69 I like 4-27-69 and another one called Stroll On.

From 1980 I like the Zurich gig. Fantastic. Probably the best from 1980.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...